Edwardian Devon

A century ago, Britain was locked in a devastating worldwide conflict that would change every aspect of British society. This book explores life in Devon in 1900-1914, offering a fascinating glimpse of a world now long-vanished before the war broke out. It reveals a county undergoing a surprising degree of change: farmers struggled as cheap grain imports flooded in; the railways brought thousands of tourists and made trade easier to handle; amusements proliferated with music halls, fairs, and picture houses; and education and religion stimulated bitter controversies. It was a worrying time overseas too: Great Britain's supremacy was increasingly challenged, and the warships in Devon's harbors and army maneuvers on the moors drew many comments as the storm clouds began to gather over Europe.